Page 119 of Hide From Me

cas

There was a prettylong list of normal shit I never planned to do. Top of my list was buying a ring. Of course, making the barbed wire ring all those years ago was a first.

“Short stuff, nice shot. I think you’re getting better. Maybe we start with knives next time,” X said as I walked into the booth area at the range.

“Let’s work on self-defense then knives, alright X?”

He turned around.

“Hey there, Cas. Your girl here? I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.”

She flashed me a smile as she laid the gun down and took off the ear protection.

“Caspian, I’m a natural.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, you are, blossom. But the hole in Grandpa’s head proved that too. Anyway, I’m going to steal you. X? See you at home. Thanks for taking care of her.”

If it were anyone other than X, I’d be pissed how he hugged her, but it was hard to get mad at family.

“Come on, Rylee, I’ve got a surprise.”

Something changed that day at her family’s home. She seemed to accept that she wasn’t going to know everything, but I was trying to catch her up.

She took my hand as we walked out to my bike.

“Where are we going?”

I handed her the helmet I got for her and helped her on before I joined her.

“It’s a surprise.”

She wrapped her arms around my waist even before she needed to. She just wanted to be close. It was an odd feeling to be loved like this.

Within minutes, we were pulling in to Enigma.

“Why are we here? The show isn’t until tonight. I don’t have my camera.”

I parked around back.

“You’ll see.”

I held the door for her as she waltzed by me. The lights were dim, no spotlights or much of anything at the moment, and that was fine. I just needed one light.

“Follow me,” I said and took her hand, guiding her towards the front of the gallery.

We stopped in front of the very last sculpture that I had made for this show.

“What? Oh.”

She reached towards the sculpture.

“It’s you, or, well, what you symbolize in my world.”

Barbed wire spiraled up around a flower made of deadly weapons that had a past. But I was able to make them into something beautiful.

She smiled up at me.

“It’s us. Isn’t it? You’re the barbed wire protecting me.”